If you go to the following site you can download all of Sarah Palin's emails from her time as Governor of Alaska. Although the documentation appear to be scans, they are not protecting the email addresses of those she corresponded with. Therefore, the privacy of all those she emailed are now out there for anyone to use (such as spammers, phishers, and other deviants). Would this be considered a breach? Should the State Government of Alaska protected this information by blacking out the recipients email addresses, or are they now considered public information?

Email correspondence to or from public officials is usually considered to be public record with certain exceptions allowed by statute. I'm not sure of Alaskan law but for instance in Florida, sensitive security information and risk assessments/vulnerability info, sealed bid proposals, economic development information, information regarding personal info for public workers and their families with hire/fire authority, law enforcement and firefighters is protected. For instance, an email from an HR Director to his wife telling her to pick the kids up at a specific daycare would be protected.

I think you'd have to examine the public records laws in Alaska to determine the answer to your question.